Memory Gems
by Animegurl64
Summary: Side stories that don't fit into the main body of my ToSHP fic. 1. Kratos is old but he is neither stupid nor blind. He knows his son is special. Oyakoish fluff. LumosAngelous 'Verse
1. Chapter 1

This story is a dumping ground for all the Kratos and Lloyd interaction that takes place in my crossover, but that didn't actually fit into the continuity of the main story. It's also a way for me to flesh out Kratos character because he is so hard to write. You don't actually have to read my other stories to understand this one but it would help. That said, have at it everyone.

Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia or Harry Potter.

* * *

Kratos is old.

This seems obvious, shows in his wisdom and his demeanor, but is rarely is it noticeable to the rest of the world. He has never aged physically and so remains in a body in its physical prime.

But sometimes he feels every single one of those 4000 years bearing down on him at once.

But rarely does he feel that with his son.

* * *

When they found out Anna was pregnant, Kratos didn't know what to feel. He was going to be a father, after all this time, after losing his humanity, after all he has seen, he is going to be a father.

The idea is mind blowing.

He imagines that all new fathers-to-be feel like this, but it seems all the more immediate as he gazes at the swell of his wife's (22 years now and he still can't believe it) body and thinks not for the first time what his mother would say if she could see him now.

He thinks she would smile indulgently and tell him to stop panicking (he isn't panicking, he isn't). She would say this was payback for all the grey hairs he'd caused her. She'd sit him down, make him sweet tea and ask what names he'd thought about naming her precious grandchild.

Pallas Aurion is 4000 years dead, but the thought of her never stops making him feel like a little boy all over again.

* * *

The first time Kratos holds his son in his arms; he looks down at the small creature he helped make and thinks _oh._ He is so terrified by the small baby in his arms and if Yuan, Martel and the Mithos-that-once-was could see him now, Kratos Aurion the Angel of Death scared of this small helpless creature they would laugh. He wants to say he isn't ready for this but when he opens his mouth what comes out is,

"He has your eyes."

His Anna's brilliant green eyes that have always reminded him of the green leaves of the Kharlan Tree before it died. He has always thought her amazing eyes are her best feature and is glad his son inherited them.

Tired from a hard pregnancy, harder labour and terrible birth that brought his son screaming into the world she looks up at him and laughs (a laugh that sounds a little bit broken and humourless and bitter) "Lets hope that's all he got from me."

Kratos wants to ask what she means. Anna seemed more worried about this child in his arms than him. She had gone quiet and unreachable like she had in the first months of their relationship and Kratos had been scared of what that meant. But he sees she is tired and the midwife is shooing him out and the small bundle in his arms is taking a look around the world for the first time so he thinks that question can wait for another day.

That day never comes.

* * *

Kratos may be old but he isn't stupid. Or blind.

His son grows, the world turns and life goes on as it always has. They still run from Cruxis and the Desians, still search for a way to end this war, still live everyday like their last.

(Kratos know now the Ancient War never really ended.)

But sometimes he'll come home and Anna will seem so _tired._ Those days Lloyden is usually asleep and Anna is holding him and looks close to tears. He'll ask and Anna will say she is fine in that clipped tone that tells him she really isn't. He'll put Lloyden to bed with Noishe and make sweet tea like his mother taught him and ask about her day.

He wonders why she's lying to him.

* * *

Sometimes around Lloyden strange things happen.

Most of the time these are near inexplicable miracles, like the time Desians stormed their house and Kratos and Anna were outside and Kratos had been sure Lloyden was still upstairs before he notices Anna loading their boy on Noishe and just thanks Origin because after 4000 years he figures he's due for some good luck.

But sometimes its little things.

Like a toy he's sure was put away finds it's way into his son's hands or some sweet or when he finds Lloyden wandering around when he's certain he shut the door to his room. He's mostly certain that these are explainable. Children are curious and his son has always seemed more creative than other children. (His son is perfect and he loves him more than anything).

But Anna's eyes always take on certain tightness, and her brow creases with worry when he mentions these things.

He's beginning to wonder what she isn't telling him

* * *

The death of his family destroys him.

It will be fourteen years before he thinks of the strange things his boy could do and wonder.

Fin.


	2. A Noble Blade

After a month long hiatus I am updating stuff! Cleaning off my hard-drive of chapters! Actually getting some work done!

Like all stories in this collection this one is a world-building head canon exercise rather than an actual connected series of events. Thus I present a chapter taking place Not In Symphonia.

Disclaimer: Still don't own it.

* * *

Gryffindor was called the Knight's House for a reason.

Long ago, before Hogwarts was founded, Godric Gryffindor was a knight of the England, the Defender of the Realm. He served in the King's court, but more than that, he defended the magical peoples of the realm against the church's witch hunters.

It was for this reason Slytherin asked him to found Hogwarts with him.

_You might belong in Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart._

_Their daring, nerve and chivalry, set Gryffindors apart._

Not many people know this, but it was originally Slytherin's idea to build a school where magic could be taught to magical children. He saw the muggles persecuting their own for witchcraft and wondered how long it would be before they truly began hunting wizards. Trained magicals could defend themselves, but not all magicals were trained.

He wanted to a place where children would not live in fear of being burned.

An impenetrable stronghold where they could feel safe.

Godric Gryffindor wanted much the same. He was one of the lucky ones, he came from a magical line on his mother's side, so he was kept protected from the pyres.

But Godric saw many muggleborn children burn.

Slytherin was right to have his concerns for the muggleborns. He was worried they wouldn't be able to keep up with the circulum, he worried they wouldn't fit in, he worried about welcoming traitors into the walls.

So he sealed a monster in his Chamber, to protect the children from themselves.

Not many people know this, but Gryffindor knew what Slytherin had done.

But he also knew that the monster could work against the Castle.

So he bound his Blade into his Hat, in case there was a time the Castle needed to be protected from it's Defender.

Not many people know this, But Lloyden Aurion is the Son of a Knight, a Defender of the Realm, from an Ancient and Noble House of Knights.

There was never any question Gryffindor's Sword would choose him to take up the mantle of Defender of the Castle.


	3. The Bonds of Childhood

And here is the important Chapter! The one that explains some my Lloyd's behaviour and clears up some in canon problems. Please enjoy :)

Warnings: Deals with Child Abuse and Trauma. May trigger those sensitive to that.

Disclaimer: I own neither Harry Potter nor Tales of Symphonia.

* * *

Lloyden and Dudley have a complicated relationship.

When they were five, after Lloyd had arrived at the Dursleys, Dudley hadn't understood why his parents hated this boy he was told was his cousin so much. Only that he wasn't the only child in the house anymore. He was jealous, and did anything he could to not lose their attention.

But he noticed his cousin wasn't like the other kids. He was quiet, didn't talk much, and seemed almost like a ghost. He didn't pay any attention to Dudley. Dudley, so used to being the centre of everyone's attention, didn't like that. So he did everything he could to make Lloyd see and pay attention to him the only way he knew how, he teased and hit and was mean, but had his moments of childish kindness too. Dudley sees his parents with Lloyd and while he knows how they act is wrong is in some way; he is too young to know what to do about it or understand. Dudley knows he has to protect his small cousin (doesn't know why, but loves him in his own boyish way, the only one in that house that does) so he keeps all the attention on him as often as he can. Lloyd is left alone and Dudley gets to keep being the apple of his parents' eyes. It's win-win.

(See, the thing is, Dudley doesn't hate his cousin. But he knows his parents do.)

Lloyd remembers being five and terrified of bedrooms, open spaces, and green light and never knowing why. His Aunt and Uncle tell him his parents died in a car crash. Lloyd thinks they're wrong, and the one time he says this he is backhanded across the face and sent to bed without supper. This pattern will define most of his remaining childhood. It is Dudley who shows him the cupboard, one night when he is so scared he can't even move. Dudley who sneaks him downstairs and who stays the night in the cupboard, listening to stories no one has ever heard before. Dudley who lets him cry and never uses the death of his mother and James against him. He sleeps that night through. He starts to heal.

(Dudley is the only one Lloyd ever tells about his Father, about James and Lilyanna's Masquerade.)

They do this for a week until his Aunt finds out. There is screaming and "You ungrateful freak, you can just stay there forever' and what was a sanctuary becomes a punishment.

(Dudley still sneaks in some nights, brings food and sweets, tells stories and Lloyd is a little less lonely.)

Once someone explained to Dudley that Lloyd's parents were dead and never coming back. It took him until he was much older to understand, eight years old or so. Dudley imagined his parents never coming home too. It scared him so much, until he remembered he'd still have Lloyd. It was a comforting thought. He resolved to make sure Lloyd never forgot him.

(Lloyd doesn't hate Dudley either. He understands the necessity of lies and secrecy far too well for such a young child.)

When they are eleven and about to be separated for the first time since they were five, Dudley is worried. Lloyd is constant, Lloyd is leaving and this means change. He knows better to ask his parents if Lloyd can come to Smeltings with him, but still he wishes.

(Dudley scared so many children, beat them up because they made fun of his cousin, whispered behind his back and he knows how much crowds of people scare Lloyd. Who is going to protect him at Stonewall?)

When the Hogwarts letters come, Lloyd is confused and scared. He doesn't know why. Then they go on the road trip and Dudley complains (protects his cousin by keeping all attention on him and Lloyd will never say how thankful he is.) and then comes the night of Lloyd's eleventh birthday and everything changes.

(Lloyden Aurion is a wizard. This is not as surprising as it should be to either of them.)

Dudley sees his cousin come home every summer with eyes a little deader than the previous September. He complains about the second bedroom because he remembers Lloyd's fear and he understands his parents' fear of magic because from the little he's seen it can be used in bad and harmful ways. But he doesn't understand his parents fear of Lloyd because don't they understand that inside, Lloyd really wouldn't use his power to hurt people (them) unless they threatened him? He doesn't like Hogwarts because he sees what it does to his cousin, changes him almost beyond recognition. And he doesn't like those redheads, doesn't trust them with his cousin's well being, because he's pretty sure they don't understand Lloyden at all.

(He is jealous too, for all that he is correct. But he also knows that he is the only one Lloyden has told his secrets and he will never break that confidence.)

Dudley is one of the few constants in Lloyden's life and he is grateful. They may not actually like each other very much but he is better than his Aunt and Uncle. They are his relatives but they will never be his family. Dudley listens to his stories, his stars, learns bits of his language and they come up with a code. They sneak into library story times and find tales about magic and heroes and revel in their rebellion against the Dursley's normalcy. So when Lloyden explains his hero status in the Wizarding World and all his adventures during the late night conferences that they never outgrew, the only time to discuss magical things is when his guardians sleep, Dudley has no problem believing him (Dudley always believes him). He's always known his cousin is a hero; always known he's been destined for greater things than him. Loves Lloyd all the better because he knows Lloyd doesn't want any of that and remembers reading Lord of the Rings with him and taking Gandalf's advice to heart.

(Their boyish love is the only thing that sustains the blood wards on Number 4 for that decade. It is not much, but the love of children is a pure soft thing, but even with all the bad it is enough.)

When Dudley is fourteen, his mother and father pack up the house in a flurry and suddenly he is on a plane to Australia, and Britain and Lloyden are shrinking smaller and smaller in the distance. He nags his mother, yells at his father but they never explain why they left and if Dudley wasn't so sure Lloyden would be okay he would have found a way back to Britain and looked for him. His parents are more afraid of magic than ever but Dudley isn't five anymore and Lloyden explained many nights ago about his parents murderer and his not being dead and the protection Number 4 Privet Drive affords him. Dudley knows that monster must have returned and that's why they've run halfway around the world and left Lloyd to face this on his own. He goes to school, he adjusts, he learns to change his attitude and become a better person because he never wants to be like his parents. But he doesn't tell anyone about Lloyd.

(Deep down he always knew this separation was coming, Heroes don't take their families on adventures and Dudley has never been a warrior.)

When the Journey of Regeneration has come and gone, when the Second Rising of Voldemort has ended, when Ratatosk has been pacified, Lloyden finally seeks out his cousin. He finds him on a beach in Australia and how different they both are now. But Dudley still listens, gasps in all the right places, and they both understand that the things the adults in their lives have done are wrong. It is Dudley who finally gets Lloyd to understand that Kratos needs to be told the whole story, that parents love you regardless and for God's sake Lloyden the man nearly died for you, so you could fix the world, and if he's as old as he claims there's probably not a lot that can faze him.

(Dudley is wrong and right. Kratos has never encountered magic like his son has but loves him anyways and always, always will.)

As children, Lloyden Aurion and Dudley Dursley had a complicated relationship, as adults it remains complicated but less secretive and more open. Neither of them will ever be able to explain it to their friends, Lloyd doesn't bother mostly and Dudley gave up trying a long time ago, except to his counsellor. But one thing is certain, that strange childlike love enabled Lloyd to survive, kept him sane and in the end that was all that mattered.

(It wasn't much, but it was enough.)

Fin.


End file.
